The Kremlin has stated that it is still too early to talk about Russian President Vladimir Putin's participation in the G20 summit, which will be held in the US in December, as Moscow has not yet made a final decision.
"It's premature to talk about this. A decision has not yet been made," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a press conference in Moscow. According to reports published today, Russia has welcomed the American invitation, but the issue of Putin's participation will be handled through diplomatic channels.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a day earlier that Washington had invited the Russian president to the G20 summit, which is scheduled to be held in Miami on December 14 and 15. Rubio said the meeting would give Putin the opportunity to engage directly with US President Donald Trump and other world leaders.
Peskov stressed that Russia will continue to participate in the work of the G20, while the decision on whether Putin will personally travel to the US will be made later.
Putin last physically attended a G20 summit in 2019. In 2020 and 2021 he participated via video conference, while in 2023 he spoke remotely during a session of the summit.
During the conference, Peskov also spoke about relations between Russia and Armenia. He stated that President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have agreed that the latter will visit Moscow in the near future, although a specific date has not yet been set.
Regarding Armenia's orientation, Peskov said that Moscow respects Yerevan's sovereign rights, but argued that Armenia must decide on its relations with the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union.
According to him, a gradual shift towards EU standards may not be in line with EAEU rules and standards. The statements come at a time when Pashinyan's government is considering greater rapprochement with European structures.
Peskov also commented on the statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the UN General Assembly, according to which Ukraine has transferred to South Korea two North Korean soldiers captured during the war.
"We have no information about this," Peskov said. He added that issues related to prisoners of war are within the competence of the Defense Ministry and Russian intelligence services, while contacts at the level of special services continue.
Zelenskyy announced during his speech at the UN that two North Korean soldiers, captured by Ukrainian forces after being sent to the Kursk region in support of Russia, have been sent to South Korea. South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported that Seoul did not deny Zelenskyy's statement and said it had held consultations with Kiev on the issue.
Speaking about the war in Ukraine, Peskov also referred to the possibility of further contacts between Moscow and Kiev. He said that communication channels between the special services continue to function, while the Kremlin has previously stated that President Putin is ready for contacts with US President Donald Trump, but that high-level meetings require prior preparation.
The issue of Putin's participation in the G20 thus remains open. For now, what has been confirmed is the US invitation and the Kremlin's response that the final decision has not yet been made.
